Titan Comics 2015
Written by Paul Cornell
Illustrated by Neil Edwards
Coloured by Ivan Nunes
On Marinus, the Doctors were caught in the blast of a Continuity Bomb, whisking them through a series of alternate timelines, each worse than the last, and in which they could be trapped forever!
Finally, they reached a world in which the Twelfth Doctor, old and near-mad from loneliness, had been betrayed by Clara. It was this timeline to which they committed, in order to escape.
But this was the trap all along. The Old Twelfth Doctor took them to a tiny pocket universe, where the Voord have hidden since the Time War. Worse... the Old Twelfth Doctor is the leader of the Voord!
I can’t say I’m sorry that this story has been playing out this way, the Twelfth Doctor is my least favorite so him turning into the bad guy is fine by me. Though let’s be honest for a moment the doctor is ancient somewhere between 900 and a 1000 years old or more right so at some point that his mind would snap doesn’t seem illogical.
The dialogue and rantings of a mad Doctor could not have been scripted any better than they have been! Paul took us to a place few dared to dream to tread and he’s done it convincingly. Aside from the Twelfth Doctor’s rantings, both of them, I found it highly illuminating that the Tenth was the one to talk the most and enact a plan of his own kind of solidifying that he’s the boldest and takes the most risks. His persona clearly shines giving the opportunity for the other to try to make a break for it.
Ultimately while a great strategy and in other circumstance would work we’re dealing with the Mad Doctor version and it doesn’t fully come to fruition. Though one thing actually does and that’s the importance of a companion. How many times over the years has the ingenuity and bravery of a companion saved the Doctor’s bacon? Here’s another chance for that very same thing to happen. Though with the one clue we’ve been given I have even more hope who will come to the save the day. No it isn’t Mighty Mouse though that would be awesome.
If there’s a problem with the one person I am hoping to save them then I hope it’s a who and not a what because please i’m begging for those two now!
I got to say how this issue plays out is surprising and thrilling. This really is the kind of story a big budget movie would make for a box office smash! With the Doctor’s involvement you know there are plenty of timey whimey things that will happen and nothing we see is entirely set in stone so fixing whatever happens is always a possibility. Though fixing it so that the Twelfth Doctor doesn’t get all crazy lonely that’s going to be harder to fix. Still it’s just another reason why a Doctor needs a companion and shouldn’t travel without one.
Neil and Ivan working together on this story has been a dream come true visually. Sure we see the Vrood so magnificently, the characters themselves are alive and expressive and you feel the determination and anguish of these folks. The tension is at times palpable and you find yourself clenching hoping for certain outcomes to come but regardless your body is fully involved in reading this story and that’s massively due to the interiors.
The Doctor Who franchise has hopefully found it’s permanent home at Titan Comics.